


Brew Me

by kishidanchougoroshi



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Eventual Romance, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 15:47:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13550529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kishidanchougoroshi/pseuds/kishidanchougoroshi
Summary: When Nino's works were too much to handle, a late night coffee always became his safe haven. He didn't know that the particular coffee shop opened until late just for him....





	Brew Me

Nino loosened his tie while walking across the lobby towards the coffee shop on the corner. Today was particularly suck with too many deadlines, appointments with clients and a series of meetings. It was daily routines of a salaryman and no matter how Nino hated it, he couldn't just walk out of the system. Changing job wasn't an easy thing and he wasn’t sure that he could find a better job than what he had now. 

 

It was already passed ten in the evening, the lobby of the Hikari building was nearly empty of people, but the coffee shop still opened until midnight. Nino was the only consumer (what kind of people drank coffee this late anyway?). The coffee shop usually closed at ten, but they prolonged the operation hour since a week ago. It was good for Nino since he always finished his work until late and he always needed an amount of caffeine.

 

Nino slumped on one of the chairs and waited for the usual waiter while taking off his tie and inserted it into the outer pocket of his bag.

 

“What can I get for you, Sir?”

 

Nino tilted his head and was about to answer when his gaze met an unfamiliar face. Instead of a tall-slim figure, a short and sun-tanned man welcomed him with a smile on his lips.

 

“Where is Aiba-san?” Nino asked before he could hold himself.

 

“He’s on temporary leave,” the man answered. “I’m here to substitute him.”

 

“Oh…” Nino nodded understandingly.

 

“So, what can I get for you?” the man asked again.

 

“A cup of caffe americano, please” Nino answered.

 

“Anything else?”

 

“No,” Nino shook his head.

 

“I’ll be right back with your order,” the substitute waiter said.

 

Nino looked at him; he got used to see Aiba’s tall figure in front of the coffee machine. This man’s appearance looked somehow odd when he moved here and there to prepare Nino’s order.

 

The man came back with a cup of caffe americano on a tray. He put down the cup in front of Nino and sat down across from him instead of returning to the counter.

 

“You’re the only guest, so I guess it’s nice to keep you company,” the waiter said, grinning.

 

Nino raised his brow, but didn’t say anything. He wasn’t in a mood of talking to somebody since he was tired; all he wanted was enjoying the coffee alone, but for some reason, he couldn’t tell the waiter to leave him alone.

 

The man didn’t try to start a conversation, he looked across the empty lobby as if it was the most interesting object on earth. Nino glanced at him, he guessed that the waiter was barely older than him. He had a pair of slanted eyes which looked sleepy, his nose was pointy as if someone had drawn it with the utmost care, his lips were glossy and now were humming a random song.

 

He caught Nino’s stare and smiled at him.

 

“Normal person would go to the bar at this hour to drink beer,” he commented.

 

“I guess I’m not normal then,” Nino shrugged, sipping his coffee and heaved a deep sigh.

 

“Drinking coffee is good to stay positive,” the man murmured as if talking to himself.

 

Nino didn’t reply, he glanced at the watch on his left wrist, it pointed to 10.20. He gave the caffe americano another ship and fished his purse from his pocket; he put down 600 yen on the table.

 

“Thanks for the coffee, er-,” Nino said, trying to find the name-tag on the man’s chest like what Aiba usually had, but there wasn’t any of it.

 

“Ohno,” the man answered. “Have a nice evening, Ninomiya-san.”

 

Nino wondered how this Ohno knew his name, but he guessed perhaps Aiba had told Ohno about him – the last guest of the day who came with a tired face.

 

“You too,” Nino replied and walked out of the building.

 

He stretched his body and yawned tiredly. He tried not to think of the next day where he would present the promotion strategy to his perfectionist supervisor – a killer man named Matsumoto Jun.

 

***

 

Nino returned to his cubicle with a frown on his face; it wasn’t the first time for Matsumoto to decline his proposal and told him to rearrange it with a fresher idea. However, today was particularly annoying since Nino had spent the whole week to prepare it with on-site visit to the client’s office to do a survey on what they really needed. But, that wasn’t enough for highly demanding Matsumoto Jun; the first man on Nino’s list to kill if he happened to posses a death note.

 

Rearranging the proposal meant he had to stay at the office until late – again for the nth times this week; Nino massaged his own shoulder and lazily opened the presentation file. He didn’t note what Matsumoto said to him which was rather a disaster.

When Nino finished half of his proposal, the digital clock showed 09.30 in the evening. He skipped dinner in order to finish the proposal faster and now he had just realized how hungry he was. He surrendered and shut the computer down; he was the only one left – as always. Nino wondered what he had done to Matsumoto which made the man hate him that much. This rhythm of work would just kill him sooner or later from exhaustion and stress.

 

He walked out of the office and got into the elevator to the lobby at the ground floor. His feet brought him to the coffee shop at the corner; the sleepy looking man was wiping one of the tables when Nino got there.

 

“Welcome,” he said to Nino.

 

“Do you still have any food left?” Nino asked while sitting down.

 

“A piece of tuna sandwich, I think,” Ohno replied.

 

“May I get one? And a cup of café latte, please.”

 

“In a moment,” Ohno said, disappearing behind the counter.

 

Nino closed his eyes for a while; he was tired both mentally and physically, perhaps he should change job, maybe becoming a waiter like Ohno was way much better than a stressed-out salaryman.

 

“You look like you’ll pass out anytime soon,” Ohno said.

 

Nino opened his eyes; his café latte and a piece of tuna sandwich were in front of him. Ohno sat down across from him like what he did the night before and watched Nino as he partook the sandwich.

 

“Maybe I’ll die next week if my superior keeps on exploiting me,” Nino said as he gulped his first bite of the sandwich.

 

Ohno chuckled as he heard him, his slanted eyes turned into two thin lines as he smiled. Nino looked at the man’s face longer than he should and figured it out that Ohno had a really nice-shaped nose.

 

“You’ll feel the same way if you work under that guy,” Nino continued, averting his gaze from Ohno to the counter.

 

“Which guy?” Ohno asked.

 

Nino hesitated for a while; was there any chance that Ohno and Matsumoto knew each other? What if Matsumoto came to this shop on a regular basis and discussed with Ohno on how useless his underling was.

 

“A man with thick eyebrows,” Nino finally answered. He wouldn’t care if Matsumoto found out that Nino bashed him.

 

Ohno thought for a few seconds and an understanding spread through his facial expression; he nodded and said, “He came here a few times, he’s quite intimidating,” the man spoke of Matsumoto with soft expression as if criticizing his little brother, the thought made Nino frown.

 

Nino finished his sandwich and drank his café latte; Ohno’s eyes were locked on him, making him uncomfortable.

 

“Tomorrow is Friday night, you should go somewhere and entertain yourself,” Ohno said, flashing an emphatic smile at Nino.

 

Nino sighed deeply; he didn’t need anyone to tell him to entertain himself – perhaps sleeping through the weekend would be enough for him. He paid for the café latte and sandwich, wore his coat and took his bag. Ohno watched him all the time and wished him a good night as Nino left the coffee shop.

 

Nino didn’t mind it when Aiba was the one who watched him and wished him a good night; but Ohno had given him a strange feeling which he couldn’t name. He shook his head in agony, he was too tired, and that was why he overthought everything.

***

 

Matsumoto seemed in a good mood on Friday; he told Nino to hand his edited proposal (finished or not) and he would do the rest. He asked Nino to make a reservation for a working trip to Nagoya for both of them in next two weeks; where they would present the proposal to their client.

 

“It’s Friday, let’s go home earlier today,” Matsumoto said, patting Nino’s shoulder lightly. The latter only nodded, his boss could turn into a nicer guy sometimes.

 

When Nino passed the coffee shop that afternoon (he finally could get his Premium Friday), the one who served the customers was Aiba. The tall guy was carrying a cup of coffee for a man who sat down at the farthest corner; his slim figure moved among the tables, he smiled to every customer he passed by.

 

He didn’t feel like going there today; he brought his feet towards the street, enjoying the daylight which was a kind of rare scene for him. The people smeared the sidewalk, walking with a slight smile on their lips, celebrating their Premium Friday with delight.

 

It was still half past three, but Nino had no particular plan. He stepped towards the station and was about to climb down the stairs to the subway platform when he spotted someone came out from a car across the street. The man looked familiar with his sticking hair and skinny figure. He was wearing suit and tie; someone talked to him with the utmost respect while guiding his steps towards the building.

 

“Ohno?” Nino spoke to himself.

He shook his head; perhaps he imagined things since he was too tired. Nino continued his way to the platform and waited for the train. This week seemed too long and he was sure that the following week would be the same.

 

The only thing which kept Nino sane for the following week was Ohno’s coffee. He went there every night, just to talk about his disappointing day to the waiter. Ohno listened to him and gave a comment in between or kept quite while nodding understandingly. Nino had decided that the man he spotted across the station wasn’t Ohno; perhaps he mistaken someone else who looked like Ohno.

 

“Take care on your working trip,” Ohno said, smiling at Nino when he was about to leave the coffee shop.

 

“Thanks,” he replied. Ohno waved him good bye, his shady face always calmed him down in a strange way, no matter how hard he tried to deny it.

 

*** 

 

The working trip turned out success; Nino inserted the contract into his briefcase with utmost care and followed Matsumoto’s steps towards the lobby of Giant Company after finishing their business at the meeting room.

“I want the report tomorrow night, Nino,” Matsumoto said as they walked ahead the station.

“Okay,” Nino answered.

“Come early tomorrow morning, we’ll have a breakfast meeting with our new client.”

“It’s so sudden,” Nino commented.

Matsumoto shrugged, “I know, but the client is a likely candidate for our next business partner and he only available tomorrow morning for the meeting. We’ll meet in Eyes Delight Coffee Shop.”

It was the Coffee Shop where Aiba and Ohno worked; at least he could see one of them, Nino thought and stayed there after the meeting to pour all of his complaints to Ohno. 

Nino woke up at six the next morning and wore his best tie. Matsumoto was rather strict when it came to appearance; he would spat his cruel comments when he saw Nino’s crooked tie or wrinkled shirt. He headed straight towards the Eyes Delight Coffee Shop and waited for Matsumoto.

“You look good in that tie,” Aiba complimented him.

“Thanks,” Nino replied. Aiba always complimented everyone and he was sincere about it, such a pleasant guy.

“You have returned from your temporary leave. Does it mean Ohno-san is no longer working here as your substitute?” Nino asked. 

“A substitute?” Aiba raised his brows as if hearing it wrong. He had no time to answer since Matsumoto had arrived and joined them. The man checked his reflection in his smartphone, making sure that he was representable.

“Note everything, okay,” Matsumoto said to Nino.

“Of course,” Nino answered, preparing his planner and a ballpoint.

“They’re coming,” Matsumoto hissed and stood up to welcome their client. Nino rose off of his chair and looked around the lobby where their client was, but then he noticed a man he had already known.

Ohno or someone who looked exactly like Ohno was walking across the lobby with a man, probably his secretary; his eyes found Nino and he flashed a broad smile.

Nino looked at Matsumoto to ask question, but he clearly had no time for that. How come Ohno became their client? Wasn’t he just a substitute waiter in this very coffee shop?

“Good morning, Jun-kun, Ninomiya-san,” Ohno said while shaking their hand. “This is Sakurai-kun, my secretary,” he introduced the man beside him.

“Nice to meet you,” Sakurai said, shaking their hand as well.

Nino couldn’t help his curiosity along the meeting; he stole a glance once in a while at Ohno. The man looked odd in his suit and tie as if they didn’t fit him right. He looked better in his casual outfit with an apron around his waist. Above all, he called Jun by his first name and they talked with informal Japanese which convinced Nino that both of them already knew each other very well.

“Sakurai-kun will call you for further detail,” Ohno said at the end of meeting. He looked at Nino and gave him the usual smile. “Thank you for always coming to our coffee shop.”

“Er-, you’re welcome, Ohno-san,” Nino answered awkwardly. He could feel his face reddened when he remembered how he talked about Matsumoto on his last visit to this coffee shop. 

He and Matsumoto returned to their office; Matsumoto seemed very satisfied with himself after the breakfast meeting. He asked Nino to write the report along with their working trip to Nagoya. Nino sat on his chair and turned his computer on. The meeting with Ohno just now still bothered him; the man made a deal with Matsumoto to use their service in promoting his newly opened coffee shop at one of the most expensive hotels in Tokyo.

Was Ohno the owner of the Eyes Delight Coffee Shop?

That was the only possibility; but the thing bothered Nino the most was Ohno’s willing to work as a waiter in the middle of the night just to substitute Aiba (but what with Aiba’s expression when Nino asked him?). He could hire anyone to do that job instead of working his ass of. Nino scratched his head in confusion; came to think of it, he had nothing to do with how Ohno ran his company. Ohno could do whatever he pleased, whether it was to become a waiter or a cleaning service – it was none of Nino’s business.

But what about his shady smile when he listened to Nino’s complaining about work? What about Ohno’s sincere concern when he told Nino not to overwork himself?

Nino frowned, he didn’t mean to think of Ohno, but the man’s face floated in his mind like a big balloon. He wanted to see the man again, but with an apron around his waist in the empty coffee shop in the middle of the night.

He typed the report as quickly as possible and sent it to Matsumoto’s email. Then, he browsed about the Eyes Delight Coffee Shop – Nino never paid attention before, but now he realized that he had seen the name in various malls and hotels. He thought that the shop was just another Starbucks, but apparently, he was wrong.

The coffee shop seemed not just an ordinary one, there were a few bars with the same name, how could Nino miss it?

When Nino finished his work that night; he headed straight towards the coffee shop. His heart pounded faster when he saw Ohno behind the counter. He was there with his usual checked shirt and a dark green apron around his waist instead of an expensive suit.

“Welcome,” he said to Nino.

Nino stood still in front of the counter; he looked at Ohno’s face for minutes.

“What can I get for you?” Ohno asked, smiling at him.

“Cold brew,” Nino finally murmured.

“Right away,” Ohno replied.

Nino shifted towards the seat which was the closest to the counter and waited there. Ohno appeared two minutes later with a tray in his hand. The scene was just what he really wanted to see; Ohno looked better in this outfit compared to the suit which seemed uncomfortable for him.

“You’re rather early tonight,” Ohno commented, putting the glass in front of Nino and sat across from him.

“Aiba-kun has returned, but you still here,” Nino said. “Why?”

Ohno’s thin lips formed a smile as he answered, “I like it here, its atmosphere calms me down after a long day of working and I can see you every night.”

Nino was taken aback by Ohno’s last words, but he decided to stay cool, “What do you mean by seeing me?”

“Seeing you, like this,” Ohno said while looking through Nino’s eyes.

“That’s weird; do you do the same thing to all of your customers?” Nino asked.

“You’re my only customer,” Ohno smiled.

“That’s obvious,” Nino replied, looking around the empty shop.

“I mean,” Ohno sighed deeply before continuing, “Aiba-kun finishes his shift at nine in the evening and I would take over; there’s no guest after nine, except you. So, practically, you’re the only consumer I have.”

Nino raised his brow; no one would have that kind of stupid thing, except…

“You open until late just because you want to see me?” Nino asked, hoping that the answer would be different, but when Ohno answered, his face didn’t show any hesitation.

“Yes.”

Nino didn’t ask why, he was afraid of the answer. It was ridiculous; what kind of person would do that? Ohno probably was telling him a lie, but what for?

“I’d better go back, I have a presentation early in the morning,” Nino said confusedly.

“Good luck,” Ohno said. “I’ll be waiting for you here.”

Nino’s throat went dry as he heard Ohno’s answer; he averted his gaze away from the man and walked across the lobby towards the street. He wondered when this game would end; Ohno couldn’t stay forever in the coffee shop if he had too many things to take care of. Half of him wanted Ohno to keep on staying there, every night where Nino could pour his lament about work, but another half wanted the opposite. Ohno’s presence had made him excited – a kind of excitement he hadn’t felt for too long.

This game would last forever if they didn’t make any moves and from what he knew, Ohno wasn’t a type of person who could take the first step.

***

Nino didn’t take his Premium Friday that week, not only he had too many works to finish but also his conclusion that he needed to talk with Ohno. He had thought deeply about it and was ready for the worst. He enjoyed Ohno’s company, he liked Ohno for being a good listener, he enjoyed seeing him behind the counter when he prepared a cup of coffee for Nino.

He didn’t want this kind of relationship end up just like that; they could do many things in advance if they date properly – perhaps, Nino thought bitterly. What if Ohno didn’t think the same way? What if he only played with Nino’s feelings? What if he only stayed in the coffee shop for a market survey or some kind of inspiration in order to attract more customer like Nino?

The last one brought a chill into his stomach, but Nino ignored it. He was ready for the worst after all.

When he reached the coffee shop that evening, Ohno was already there. He sat down at one of the chairs instead of welcoming Nino from behind the counter. He gave Nino a smile and gestured to him to sit down.

“I want to order a cup of cappuccino,” Nino said.

Ohno didn’t make a movement, he looked at Nino’s eyes as if counting his lashes. “It’s Friday night,” he said after a good two minutes.

“And?”

“Normal people go for a date on Friday night,” Ohno said.

“I don’t have a date,” Nino answered, the plot he had been arranging was destroyed and he couldn’t speak what was in his mind with Ohno’s intense gaze on his face.

“Then be my date.”

Ohno’s words echoed in the empty lobby and it needed some time until Nino grasped the meaning. He looked blankly at Ohno whose lips curved in a shady smile – the kind that Nino liked so much.

Damn! He couldn’t reply to those words.

“We enjoy each other’s company, there’s nothing wrong if we try to date,” Ohno continued.

“Are you kidding me? You know nothing about me and you’re Matsumoto’s client and…”

“Nino,” Ohno cut him, placing his long fingers above Nino’s, “Just don’t move.”

Nino stayed still when Ohno leaned closer and placed his lips on his. The pleasant warmth bathed him as he felt Ohno’s soft lips; they kissed – probably the best kiss Nino had ever gotten.

Ohno drew further and smiled at Nino, “That solves the problem,” he said.

Nino was sure that his face was as red as crab now, he glanced at his intertwined hands with Ohno and he knew that it was the right thing to do. He squished Ohno’s hand in return; they would get to know each other better from now on, they would go for a date every weekend to the nearest cinema or aquarium or amusement park or just stayed at home while watching DVDs.

“I’ll get your cappuccino,” Ohno said after a while.

“Thanks,” Nino said.

“So, are we going to go for a date after this?” Ohno teased.

“I guess, I have no choice,” Nino replied.

END


End file.
